Understanding The Pattern: Eye of the World
by SailorMartin3
Summary: Rand, Mat, Perrin, Elayne, Nynaeve, and Egwene read the first book in the Wheel of Time.


**Disclaimer: I do not own any portion of The Wheel of Time, its characters or its plotline. I give all due honor and recognition to Robert Jordan, Harriet his wife (who made sure to get a great writer named Brandon Sanderson to finish the story after Robert Jordan died in 2007) and, of course, Brandon Sanderson. And to Tor who publishes the books.**

**AN: I know for a fact, as I have searched long and hard for one, that no one has ever done a "reading the books" fic for the Wheel of Time, so I decided to try one of my own. This chapter is to see how it is accepted. Please tell me what you think.**

**AN2: I AM NOT SURE THAT M IS STRONG ENOUGH FOR THIS SERIES, AS THERE IS A LOT OF VERY GRAPHIC VIOLENCE IN PARTS OF THESE BOOKS. THEREFORE, FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT WISH TO READ SUCH PASSAGES OR HAVE A WEAK STOMACH, I WILL GIVE A SUMMARY OF THE PART THAT IS VIOLENT AND THOSE PEOPLE MAY SKIP IT IF THEY WISH TO WITHOUT WORRYING THAT THEY WILL MISS SOMETHING IMPORTANT. FOR THOSE OF STRONGER STOMACHS I WILL INCLUDE THE FULL PASSAGE.**

**AN3: **For those who have read the Wheel of Time series. This starts between 'Shadow Rising' and 'Fires of Heaven.'

**Part 1**

Egwene looked around as she became aware of her surroundings. She was in a place she had been to several times before. There was no visible source of light, yet there was a dim light that came from everywhere at once. Her only thought was:

_The Wise Ones** are going to kill me when they find out that I came here without their permission._

She had been apprenticed to the Aiel* Wise One dreamwalkers*** for only a few short weeks. She had promised to only enter the place she currently stood if she was accompanied by one of them. She had already broken that rule once and had not liked the consequences. Amys had warned her that to do so again would make them not want to teach her any more about her ability to enter and manipulate this place. This place was dangerous to those who did not know what they were doing. Not the least of these reasons was the fact that at least two Forsaken**** stalked the dream.

"Egwene, where am I? What is this place?" asked a voice from right behind her.

She spun around seizing hold of saidar*****, only to let it go when she saw who was standing behind her.

"Mat?" she asked, uncertainly. She knew that in this place, you could take the appearance of anyone. And who knew if it was only the female forsaken that could enter this place and how much knowledge those who could enter had.

"Yeah, it's me. Blood and bloody ashes, Egwene, why are you holding the Source*****? I'm not going to attack you."

"How do you know…? Never mind, how did you get here?"

"That's what we would like to know, too," said a different voice from behind them. Both whirled around to find two young women standing there.

"Elayne, Nynaeve!" shouted Egwene and ran to hug her friends. It seemed so long since she'd seen them. So much had happened since then.

"I don't know how I got here, or where we even are," snapped Mat, "would someone tell me how we can get out of here? Or at least tell me where we are?"

"We are in a place called Tel'aran'rhiod. Basically, it is a place that exists outside the realm of time and place. It is a place that people touch when they sleep but only for a brief instant. Here, things reflect the waking world. The more changeable something is in the waking world, the more it changes from second to second here in what many call 'The World of Dreams'. A door could be open one minute and closed the next. There are no tame animals here, such as dogs, cats, horses, etc. But there are ravens, birds, wolves and such in here. One of the dangers of this place is that some of the Forsaken know of it and want to use it for their own ends. And they know more about it than we do, considering they have been using it longer."

"Bloody ashes, they could come upon us at any moment. We should leave before they can attack."

"One of the more sensible things you've ever said, Matrim," said Nynaeve with a sniff.

"But how?" asked Elayne. "I know how you got here, Egwene, and how Nynaeve got here because she had the ring with her tonight…" she flinched at the look Egwene gave her. "But that doesn't explain how I got here, or how Matrim did. Neither of us have a ter'angreal that allows us to enter the Tel'aran'rhiod."

"I don't know," Egwene said slowly, "I suppose I could wake and ask the Wise Ones what to do." She tried not to let it show how much she didn't want to do that.

"Maybe we are here for a reason," said a thoughtful voice from their right. "This is interesting," the voice continued as the person came into view, "I've never been in this part of the wolf dream****** before."

"Wolf dream?" asked Elayne, looking confused, while Egwene looked thoughtful.

"So, how is everyone back home?" asked Mat, noticing the panicked expression on Perrin's face. "Everyone all right?"

"Mostly," muttered Perrin, looking away. "You're family's safe, Mat, and so is yours, Egwene. The threat is gone and everything seems to be settling down again."

Egwene noticed that he hadn't mentioned his own family and opened her mouth to ask, but before she was able to, another person joined their group. He appeared so suddenly that Mat jumped and Elayne gave a very small, but audible, squeak.

Before anyone could do or say anything. They found themselves transported to a comfy common room, the size of the one in the Wine Spring Inn in Emond's Field. There on one of the tables lay a single book with a sheet of parchment lying on top. When no one else made a move to go to the table, Nynaeve sighed and went to pick up the parchment.

_**Dear Friends,**_

_**We are writing this to you because we feel that there are things that need to be changed. We know, through a variety of ways, that you six are, or will be, some of the most influential people who currently are in existance. The fact that three of you are ta'veren*******, four of you can use the Source, and two of you are more knowledgable than most about the place you currenly reside in than most, gives you a major advantage to changing what needs to be changed.**_

_**That being said, however, there are some things that either cannot or must not be changed. Whether because they have already happened or because their happening will cause other reactions that are necessary, these things absolutely **__must __**not be changed. Remember that good happenings must be balanced by bad and the ta'veren among you know that better than anyone. What those things are, you will have to decide for yourself and please do not make any final decisions on these things until you are contacted at the end of your time in this place.**_

_**As for time, you will not be missing anything in your time here. It will be as if you've only been gone a moment when you return and you will feel as if you've had a decent night's sleep. As for those who need watching, they will be unable to provide any mischief whatsoever. The Forsaken will not know you are here, nor can they eavesdrop in any fashion on what is said. We have provided a ward that would keep any out who are not welcomed to this get together. As to that, also, there will be more people joining you as you read the book before you. Once you are finished with this one, the next one will replace it. Though no time is passing, you will still feel hungry, so just think of the food and drink and it will appear.**_

_**Those who wish you well,**_

_**Padra, Alarch, Marinna, and Janduin**_

"Janduin?" whispered the newcomer, who went by the name of Rand Al'Thor, with a strange sort of catch in his voice.

"Rand, what's…?" Egwene asked softly, trying to put her hand on his arm, but he turned away.

"So… should we read then?" asked Perrin.

"I guess so," said Elayne, looking at Rand sadly. "Who wants to read first?"

"I will," said Nynaeve and took the book from the table.

***Aiel: A group of people that live in a land that is called "The Waste." They are a sturdy people who think nothing of walking for 25 miles and then running a race when they get there. They have contempt for most people who come from the lands outside the Waste and consider them soft. It is said that they once honored the people of one land only to have that people betray that honor and have ever since earned their undying hatred.**

****Wise Ones: A group of women that sort of make decisions for the Aiel. They are well looked up to though not always liked. Among the Aiel, they are one of the few types of people completely immune to violence. If a Wise One wanted to cross through a battle field, every warrior, on both sides, would stop what they were doing and let her cross.**

*****Dreamwalker: A woman who can enter Tel'aran'rhiod and knows how to manipulate what she finds there to her own advantage. There are currently (as of Shadow Rising) four in existance. Unless you count the Forsaken.**

******Forsaken: Any of a group of thirteen individuals (8 males, five females) who chose to side with the Dark One in the battle for power 3000 years ago. They were sealed into the Dark One's prison at the end of the battle, but not without consequences. These indiviuals could use the Source.**

*******Source: The magic that certain people can manipulate in the Wheel of Time. There are two sides one female and one male. The female half is called saidar and the people who use it (at least those whom everyone knows use it) are called Aes Sedai. The male half is called saidin. This was tainted when the Dark One was imprisoned 3000 years ago causing all of the males using it at the time to either instantly go insane or they went insane over a period of time. Ever since, any male who can channel (which is to say: use the Source) has eventually gone mad and caused a great deal of problems before they could be killed.**

********Wolf dream: Like Tel'aran'rhiod except only a very few individuals can or will go into that part and it's mostly inhabited by wolves. These wolves are either ones who have died in the waking world and are waiting to be reborn or those wolves who are in the waking world that are asleep. It is here that the wolves find out all of their knowledge from other wolves. No wolf knows something that the others do not.**

*********Ta'veren: An individual who's very presence manipulates the pattern to fit around them. The more powerful the ta'veren the more the pattern bends for them. Though it is not always a good thing. Good must be balanced with bad otherwise it throws off the pattern. For example: In a powerful ta'veren's presence, those who were fighting might suddenly resolve a feud. Or someone who trips might hang himself when a scarf catches on a door handle. Rand Al'Thor is the most powerful ta'veren alive and maybe the most powerful ever.**


End file.
